Interleaving apparatus for packaging bacon slices



Feb. 6, 1962 1. B. COHEN 3,019,578

INTERLEAVING APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING BACON SLICES Filed Sept. 30, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. [52.451 5. Cam w Feb. 6, 1962 1. B. COHEN 3,019,578

INTERLEAVING APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING BACON SLICES Filed Sept. 30, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

Arne Y United States Patent 3,019,578 INTERLEAVENG APPARATUS 50R PACKAGENG BACQN SLICES Israel B. Cohen, R0. Box 14%, Knoxville, Tenn. Filed Sept. 30, 1960, Ser. No. 59,583 9 Claims. (Cl. 53-123) This invention relates to the packaging of foodstuffs, and it particularly relates to the packaging of sliced bacon.

The packaging of sliced bacon has long presented a problem of undesirable adhesion of one slice to the other due to the inherent greasy properties of the bacon. This adherence makes it extremely difficult for the consumer to remove one slice from the other without tearing of some slices and agglomeration of layers on others.

In order to overcome the aforesaid difficulties, it has previously been proposed to interpose layers of non-adhesive material such as paper, cardboard, or the like between the bacon slices so that the consumer can easily strip away the non-adhesive material without damaging the bacon slices. However, although various types of interleaving mechanisms were made for this purpose, these prior interleaving mechanisms were unduly complex, bulky, expensive to build and maintain and subject to easy breakdown. This easy breakdown was primarily due to the fact that many moving parts were required to operate at a speed of about 1300 rpm, which is the approximate speed at which bacon is sliced.

It is one object of the present invention to overcome the aforementioned disadvantages of prior interleaving mechanisms used for this purpose by providing an interleaving machine for inserting non-adhesive strips between bacon slices as the slices are formed, such machine being relatively simple in construction, having a minimum of rapidly moving parts and having little tendency toward breakdown.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a machine of the aforesaid type which is easy to operate and which is yet highly effective for its purpose.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide an improved interleaving machine of the character described, that is easily and economically produced, which is sturdy in construction, and which is highly efiicient in operation.

With the above and related objects in view, this invention consists in the details of construction and combination of parts, as will be more fully understood from the following description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a machine embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, detailed, sectional view of the feed and slicing station of the machine shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a schematic illustration of the electrical circuit connecting the various motors and brake mechanisms.

Referring in greater detail to the drawings, wherein similar reference characters refer to similar parts, there is shown a machine, generally designated it}, comprising a supporting framework 12 on which is mounted a platform 14 for supporting a slab of bacon 16. A central slot is provided in the platform 14 and this this slot extends an internally threaded collar or nut 18 depending from a pusher or follower 2d slidable over the platform 14.

Mounted beneath the platform 14 is a screw-threaded shaft 22 connected by a belt and pulley system indicated at 24 to an electrical motor 2e supported by the framework 12. As the motor 26 acts through the belt and pulley system 24 to rotate the screw shaft 22 in one direction, the shaft 22 coacts with the nut 18 to move the nut 13 longitudinally of the shaft 22, thereby moving the pusher 20. The pusher 2G, in turn, acts to move the bacon slab 16 forwardly toward the slicing station (to be hereinafter described).

Mounted on the rear portion of platform 14, which is braced by brace bars 23, is a standard 38 The standard 39 is provided with a bearing bracket 32 which supports a shaft 34 holding a roll of wax paper 36. A shoe brake 38, operated by a solenoid 40, is anchored on. the end of shaft 34. This solenoid-operated shoe brake 38, 4d is a standard type which is manufactured by Cutler-Hammer, Inc., of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and is designated as the Type S Shoe Brake by that company.

The strip of wax paper 42 which passes from the roll 36 moves between guide rolls 44, preferably constructed of synthetic resin and having a soft and pliable peripheral contact surface. These rolls 44 are supported by a series of individual brackets 46 having bearings for rotatably supporting the shafts 48 upon which the rolls 44 are mounted.

After passing between the guide rolls 44, the strip 42 passes between a pair of direction-altering rolls 50 and 52, of similar construction to the rolls 4d. The roll 59 is an idler roll, while the roll 52 is positively driven by an endless belt 54 passing around a pulley 56 on the shaft 58 which supports the roll 52, and around a pulley 60 on he shaft 62 of an electric motor 64.

The strip 42 is directed by the rolls 50 and 52 through a linear guide means 66 which extends angularly downward to a position spaced above the front edge of platform 14 by a distance slightly greater than the thickness of the slab 16 (as best shown in FIG. 4). The lower end of the guide 66 is positioned at the cutting or slicing station, and is provided with a beveled upper edge 68 acting as an anvil for a rotatable cutting blade 7%.

The blade 70 is integral with a hub 72 mounted on a rotatable shaft 74 coupled by a clutch 76 to the shaft of an electric motor 78. The shaft 74 extends through a sleeve bearing 80 mounted on the framework 12 by a bracket 82.

Also mounted on the shaft 74, coaxially with the blade "76, is a deflector blade 84 of generally circular shape but having a segmental notch 86 at one portion of its periphery. The deflector blade 84, as well as the cutting blade 7-0, are rotatable within a guard housing 38.

At its lower end, the housing 3% is provided with an arcuate slot 9% in which is positioned an air nozzle 92 of cylindrical contour and having a plurality of nozzle apertures 9 The nozzle 92 is connected by a conduit 96 to an elbow d8 to which is connected a vertical conduit Trill). This conduit 1% leads to a valve assembly ltlZ provided with a knob 1194 for manually operating the valve. Leading from the valve assembly 102 is a conduit 166 connected by a coupling 163 to a conduit 1ft; which, in turn, leads to an air pump or blower 112 operated by an electric motor 114 through a clutch means 116.

Forwardly of the platform 14 and below the said platform is provided a belt conveyor 118. The conveyor 11% is supported in any desired standard manner and cornprises the usual rollers 12% at either end for supporting the endless belt, one of the rollers 12% being mounted on a shaft 122 supported at its ends by bearing brackets 124- on the framework 12, and being provided with a pulley 126 (see FIG. 3) which is connected by endless belt 128 to a pulley 1% on the shaft 132 of an electric motor 134.

All the motors 26, 64, 73, 114 and 134 are of the combination brake and motor construction of the type manufactured by the Louis Allis (30., Milwaukee, Wisconsin. These motors as well as the brake assembly 33, 40 are electrically connected in a circuit illustrated in FIG. 5, whereby they are all simultaneously activated or deactivated by a single control switch 136, which is interposed between the motors and brake on the one hand, and the source of electrical energy (not shown) on the other.

in operation, when the switch 136 is closed, the slab 16 is moved forward by the pusher 2% While the strip 42 is moved from roll '36 through guide rolls 44 and guide 66 to the slicing station. Here, the blade 70 acts, during each revolution, to simultaneously slice a portion of strip 42 and of slab 16. At the same time, the nozzle 92 blows compressed air through the notch 86 of the blade 84 to blow the cut portion of paper against the slice of bacon. The blades 70 and 84 are synchronized to bring the notch 86 into conjunction with the nozzle 92 when the strip 42 and slab 16 are being sliced.

When the paper portion has been blown against the bacon slice to adhere thereto, the notch as passes out of the way so that the deflector plate 84 cuts cit the compressed air stream. This permits the bacon slice with its Wax paper cover to drop onto the conveyor 118. This builds up a horizontal stack of interleaved bacon slices and paper spacers on the conveyor 118, as indicated at 138.

As the conveyor 113 is in simultaneous motion, it acts to convey the stack 138 to an automatic wrapping machine (not shown).

Although this invention has been described in considerable detail, such description is intended as being illustrative rather than limiting, since the invention may be variously embodied, and the scope of the invention is to be determined as claimed.

Having thus set forth and disclosed the nature of this invention, What is claimed is:

l. A device for packaging sliced bacon comprising a supporting framework, a platform on said framework, 21 slicing station at one end of said platform, a housing enclosing said slicing station, means for supporting a roll of wax paper on said platform, guide means for guiding a strip of Wax paper from said roll to said slicing station, means for moving a slab ofbacon on said platform toward said slicing station, a pair of coaxially mounted and synchronously rotatable blades within said housing at said slicing station, one of said blades constituting a slicing blade and the other constituting a deflector blade, said slicing blade being arranged to simultaneously slice said bacon and said strip of paper, an opening in a portion of said deflector blade, a nozzle adjacent said housing end, an air pressure supply means operatively connected to said nozzle, said nozzle being positioned to direct air pressure through said opening in the deflector blade against the cut-01f portions of said strip for the purpose of blowing said paper portions against corresponding slices or" bacon.

2. The device of claim 1, a conveyor below said housing for receiving interleaved paper and bacon slices in a horizontal stack, and actuating means for synchronously operating said blades, said strip of paper, said slab of bacon, said air pressure supply means and said conveyor.

3. The device of claim 1, said deflector blade being substantially circular and having a segmental notch at one portion of its periphery, said notch constituting said opening in the deflector blade 4. The device of claim 1, said guide means for guiding said strip of wax paper comprising a plurality of flexiblysurfaced rollers and an inclined linear guide having a beveled portion to serve as an anvil for said slicing blade.

5. The device of claim 2, said actuating means comprising an individual electric motor for each said blade, said strip, said slab, said air pressure supply means and said conveyor, said motors being in electrical circuit with each other and with a solenoid brake on said roll, and a switch in said circuit for simultaneously opening and closing said circuit to all said motors and said brake from a source of electrical energy connected to said circuit.

6 The device of claim 1, said means for moving said slab of bacon comprising a pusher slidable on said platform and having a nut in threaded engagement with a screw-threaded shaft, said shaft being drivingly connected to the corresponding motor.

7. A device for packaging sliced bacon comprising a slicing means, means for feeding a slab of bacon and a strip of paper to said slicing means for simultaneous slicing of said slab and said strip, means for blowing a slice of said strip against a corresponding slice of said slab, a conveyor, means for successively directing each cut slice of said slab together with its corresponding adhered cut slice of strip onto said conveyor in overlapping relation to the cut slice previously deposited thereon, and operating means for synchronously operating said slicing means, said means for feeding the slab and the strip, said means for blowing air and said conveyor.

8. The device of claim 7, said means for feeding said slab and said strip comprising a pusher element for said slab and a motor operatively connected to said pusher element, and roller guide means for said strip and a'motor operatively connected to said roller guide means.

9. A device for packaging sliced bacon comprising a slicing means, means for feeding a slab of bacon and a strip of paper to said slicing means for simultaneous slicing of said slab and said strip, means for blowing a slice of said strip against a corresponding slice of said slab, a conveyor, means for directing each sliceof said slab together with its corresponding adhered slice of strip onto said conveyor, and operating means for synchronously operating said slicing means, said means for feeding the slab and the strip, said means for blowing air and said conveyor, said means for directing each slice comprising a substantially circular deflector blade coaxially mounted and simultaneously rotatable with an axially spaced cutting blade, said cutting blade constituting said slicing means, and said means for blowing air comprising a nozzle situated adjacent said deflector blade and operatively connected to an air blower, said deflector blade having an opening at one portion thereof adapted to coincide with said nozzle during each rotation of said deflector blade.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,810,864 Vogt June 16, 1931 2,340,260 Clunan Ian. 25, 1944 2,486,759 Pfeitler u Nov. 1, 1949 

